I would also suggest you check out Swift...I own a bazillion scopes, and Swift and Nikon are the two I think are the best bang for your buck in your price range. I have owned 4 Swift scopes and all in all I believe they really are a great quality scope and they have great customer service. I did have a bad one once, but it was replaced quickly with a single call (everyone has a bad one now and then...the difference is in how the company handles it). I have 3-9x40's on a 270 and a 7MM and I just put a 6-24x50AO Swift Premier on my new Savage 10 in .308 and love them all! I am a fan of the 50mm objective, more light, but I don't know for your purposes if it is going to make that much of a difference. A Swift Premier in 3-9x40 can probably be had off of opticsplanet or SWFA for under $200. Don't forget to use quality rings/bases...such as Millett, Talley, Warne or Lupy.

Happy Hunting!